1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of electronic devices, and in particular to a system and method for verifying a time, or time duration, based on a random number generator.
2. Description of Related Art
A number of systems or methods are configured to be dependent upon whether an event happens at a particular time, or within a particular time duration, or for a particular time duration. For example, workers often ‘punch-in’ via a time-clock, and ‘punch-out’ some time later. The workers' wages are based on the time between punch-in and punch-out. In like manner, an occupancy fee, or entertainment fee, may be imposed based upon the time that a user remains at a particular locale. Or, a bonus fee may be paid to a user based upon the time that the user remains at a locale. In like manner, a bonus or penalty may be associated with a person's arrival or departure from a locale at a particular time of day.
When awards or penalties are associated with a time parameter, the risk exists that the time parameter will be tampered with, to increase the award, or decrease the penalty. Conventional “time-clocks” are configured to substantially reduce the risk of tampering.
Conventional time-clocks, however, are somewhat obtrusive, and inconvenient, particularly in this age of proximity detectors, wireless devices, and so on. A system based on an electronic time-clock, however, and particularly a time-clock or other time verification device that communicates wirelessly, is susceptible to a falsification of records, unless a secure encoding of each time-parameter, or select time-parameters, is used.